I/Me
A portrait series on young Afghan-Norwegian women between tradition and freedom.
I/Me is a visual exploration of my own generation – young Norwegian-Afghan women navigating the space between inherited tradition and personal freedom. As a member of this generation myself, this work is not an outside observation; it is a conversation from within.
I deliberately chose not to photograph these women in their professional roles or with symbols of their careers. Because Afghan women are too often shown through a polarized lens: either as passive victims in need of rescue, or as exceptional heroes who have beaten all odds. Both narratives strip them of their ordinariness – their right to simply exist, to be complex, to be flawed, to be at home.
That is why I photographed them where they feel safe and self-determined: in their own homes, or in nature. No uniforms. No titles. Just them, on their own terms. Each portrait is accompanied by the subject's own words, giving them ownership of their own story – and turning my camera into an extension of our collective voice.
"At times, I felt so Norwegian that I feared I was losing my roots. Other times, I felt the distance and a profound need to protect my own roots. Today, I no longer choose one over the other. I carry both cultures with pride. This balance is my strength."
Yasaman, 27.
"Navigating the expectations of two cultures, and trying to live up to both, has been a challenge. But I learned to trust my own choices."
Durdane. 26. Came to Norway at age eight.
"I carry the courage of my grandmothers. But the fire is my own."
Nilofar.
"I no longer live in fear of disappointing others by walking my own path. In that choice, I have found a peace I never had before."
Mariam, 21. Came to Norway at age eight.
"Twenty years of opportunity. Twenty years of missing home."
Somayeh, 28.
"I didn't have to choose one culture over the other. I am both."
Khatimeh. Came to Norway at age two.
"I needed to stand on my own feet. So I started working at sixteen."
Asia, 30. First-generation Afghan-Norwegian.